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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23678806">Metatarsal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamsfan/pseuds/Lamsfan'>Lamsfan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lams [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>18th Century CE RPF, American Revolution RPF, Hamilton - Miranda, Historical RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Caretaking, Doctor!John, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lawyer!Alex, M/M, Minor Injuries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:53:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,200</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23678806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamsfan/pseuds/Lamsfan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>John gets a surprise just as he's about to finish his overnight shift in the ER.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Lams [16]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/766575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Metatarsal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dr. Laurens, please call extension 559. Dr. Laurens, please call extension 559.”</p><p>John rose quickly from the small bunk in the doctors’ lounge, smoothing his hair and rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he walked, and dialed the ER number from the phone on the wall. His shift ended in, he checked his watch, one hour and any emergency would keep him from curling up with Alex in their nice warm bed. Overnights were awful and Friday overnights were the worst. He almost regretted covering for his friend but everyone needed to be able to count on someone.</p><p>“This is Dr. Laurens,” he said when the nurse answered.</p><p>“Good morning, Dr. Laurens, we have a patient in the ER requesting to be treated by you. I explained that patients don’t get to choose their doctors in emergencies but he’s quite insistent. His injury isn’t serious and you can probably still sign out on time if you come right down.”</p><p>“It’s fine.” He fought back a yawn and looked longingly at the coffee cup next to his bunk. The caffeine would only disrupt his sleep once he got home and it was probably cold and bitter at this point. “I’ll be right there.”</p><p>“Room three,” the nurse said when he arrived and she passed him the chart. He started scanning the information as he walked towards the room. A fracture of the fifth metatarsal; this would be quick. He’d prescribe a pain reliever, instruct the patient on rest, ice, and elevation, and splint his foot before discharging him with instructions to follow up with an orthopedist.</p><p>He knocked on the doorframe and pushed back the curtain. “Mr…?” he said while searching the top of the page for the patient’s name, looking up immediately when he saw ‘Hamilton.’</p><p>“Surprise!”</p><p>“Alex, what are you doing here?”</p><p>Alex nodded towards his bandaged foot.</p><p>“I mean, what happened?”</p><p>“You know how some parts of Philadelphia still have those old cobblestone streets?”</p><p>John nodded.</p><p>“Well, I had to deliver some contracts to a client on Germantown Avenue. I don’t know why he wouldn’t let me courier them to him or why he couldn’t get them the next time he was in the city. He’s here all the time, like once a month, and it wasn’t urgent so it wouldn’t have been a huge deal-”</p><p>“Alex.”</p><p>“Yes, sorry. Anyway, I tripped on one of those stones. I didn’t think it was any big deal. I didn’t even fall but by the time I finished meeting with my client, who, by the way, wasn’t even at his office and made me wait an hour for him to arrive, it was swollen and sore. I iced it and put it on a pillow when I got home, but it was throbbing and kept me up all night. When I got up this morning, I could barely walk.”</p><p>Alex shrugged and if John had said his charm and boyish good looks didn’t do something to him, he would have been lying. “So, here I am.”</p><p>John pulled up the x-rays on the computer. “You want the good news or the bad news first.”</p><p>Alex tried to turn to get more comfortable on the exam bed and flinched when he realized he couldn’t use his foot to push himself over. He bit back the gasp that almost escaped. “Bad news.”</p><p>“You’ll need to stay off your foot until you get fitted for a walking boot. That means crutches.”</p><p>Alex sighed. “And the good news?”</p><p>“The bones are aligned, so you shouldn’t need surgery. Look, let me get you discharged and we can head home. I was looking forward to cuddling with you while I napped for a few hours anyway. Only now, I don’t have to beg you to stay in bed.”</p><p>John left to finish his paperwork and returned to the exam room in time to watch Alex try to convince the nurse he was able to skip the wheelchair and leave on crutches. He knew Alex would never want to appear weak or helpless in front of anyone and would be determined to show he could do it himself. After the second near fall, Alex gave up and flopped back onto the exam bed in frustration.</p><p>The nurse patted his hand and said, “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s hard to get used to them. But look, you have our best doctor wheeling you out.”</p><p>Alex gave John a sultry look, staring long enough for John to feel the heat spread through his belly. “He is pretty cute,” Alex finally said.</p><p>“She said best, not cutest,” John stuttered.</p><p>Alex looked up at the nurse, who whispered, “You’re right. He is pretty cute.”</p><p>John rolled his eyes, shook two pills into Alex’s hand and gave him a bottle of water to wash them down. “Here, take these. They should help you get control of the pain before we really start moving around.” Once Alex finished the water, John helped him up from the bed and into the wheelchair before placing the crutches in his lap. “I ordered an Uber. It should be here by the time we get to the exit.”</p><p>“Uber? I’m fine to take the subway.”</p><p>“Yeah, probably. But let’s give your foot a rest. The more you stay off of it, the faster it will heal.”</p><p>By the time they navigated the front steps to their brownstone and the stairs to their bedroom, John could see the sweat beading at Alex’s hairline and was glad he had given him the pain meds before they left the hospital. “Can you make it or should I carry you?”</p><p>Alex huffed, “I’m not an invalid,” a labored breath following every word.</p><p>“Okay, I believe you." John knew Alex needed to be independent but he also knew the swelling and pain from a fresh break would make his movements slow and difficult. "Get into bed and prop your foot up on a pillow, if you can. I’ll be back with an ice pack and some snacks.”</p><p>Alex had only managed to change into a tee shirt by the time John returned and was leaning against the edge of the bed as he struggled with his pants. “Let me help you.” He eased the pants leg over Alex’s bandaged foot and helped him onto the bed, then placed a pillow under his foot before crossing to the other side and crawling in. He pulled the covers over them both, leaving Alex’s foot outside, and snuggled Alex under his arm.</p><p>Alex’s voice vibrated against John’s chest. “I’m sorry.”</p><p>John tipped his head to look at him. “Sorry for what?”</p><p>“I know you just wanted to lounge around on your day off. Now you’re going to have to take care of me, probably for awhile.”</p><p>“First, you’ll be walking around on your own as soon as you get your boot. And second, you remember the ‘in sickness and in health’ part? This is it. So what do you say we get some sleep?”</p><p>John was nearly asleep, cozy, comfortable, when he heard Alex’s voice again. “Hey, John?”</p><p>“Yes, love?”</p><p>“That nurse said you were their best doctor.”</p><p>“Okay?”</p><p>“You forgot the ice pack.”</p><p>“Oh, crap.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so bored, I'm just posting all of my WIPs.  I apologize that the they're mostly LAMS fluff and pretty short.  If Alex gets super whiney or falls down over the weekend, I might add to it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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